Catalyst Ranch's
Creative Juice Blog
All photos by Ryan Moore Photography Our Catalyst Ranch square footage expanded this summer with the opening of our new Catalyst Studio! Separate from the Ranch both physically and in concept, Catalyst Studio is our bright, urban flat designed with minimal decor for a more open, versatile canvas for unique creative and artistic events. [...]
On an auspicious afternoon last March, Bobbi reached out to us. Her company would be holding a conference in Chicago, convening a network from all over the country. No sweat. But this gathering was unlike any event we’ve had at Catalyst Ranch before. Hmm, we thought. We have the resources and the gumption. [...]
Our friends at the Creative Education Foundation recently held the 70th annual Creative Problem Solving Institute conference (CPSI) in upstate New York, bringing together hungry minds exploring the Creative Problem Solving method of innovation. What an inspiring milestone for creativity and connection! While Catalyst Ranch has previously opened our doors to CEF for successful one-off [...]
While our inspiring venue does wonders to incite creativity and innovation with our clients and guests, we encourage you to continue the creative exercise beyond the Ranch confines. So when we come across something that tickles the Catalyst Ranch creative bone, we’re excited to share it.This week we were delighted to find an online, five-part [...]
As meeting-success mavens, we have a specific set of fears that keep us up at night: An audience with blank stares. Multitasking attendees. Monotonous presentations. They’re nightmare situations we have in common with our Meeting Planner clients. Happily, meetings don’t have to be a drag. With a few smart strategies, you can turn passive participants [...]
On Administrative Professionals Day, 2025, we're reminiscing on the collection of evenings we were able to welcome OfficeNinjas to Catalyst Ranch and see first hand how a professional association perfectly executes networking and community-building. The OfficeNinjas was a thriving community of administrative professionals created and led by Nancy and Edwin Salgado. In just a few [...]
It’s World Creativity and Innovation Week, April 15-21, and we at Catalyst Ranch are, as you can imagine, pretty chuffed. (We’re being worldly with our lexicon, too. 😉) This is a full week devoted to inspiring creative potential and encouraging innovation in everyday life. It’s a reminder that creativity isn't just for artists [...]
Click here to VOTE for Catalyst Ranch in The Summit Awards through Friday, March 28.Two votes per day per email address are permitted.The Hospitality-Tourism-Events Summit Chicago holds court in April, and the organizers have put together an array of award categories that will be celebrated at this expo event.And while the awards themselves are secondary to [...]
As a woman-founded and woman-owned company, Catalyst Ranch has always sought to lift up women. It’s a value that guides us in our private and public event booking as well as in the various arts and fundraising series we’ve produced ourselves. In March, Women’s History Month gives us the opportunity to learn more about [...]
While February comes to a close, we again look to ways Black History can be celebrated all throughout the year, beyond Black History Month.As we’ve explored in years prior, Black History abounds in Chicago, and many industry-changing institutions that were founded in Chicago endure to this day. Among them are the South Side Community Arts [...]
